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H. M. sMTH.

Straw Cutter.

Patented Feb'y 20,'1844.

I No.4 3,444..

UNITED; srArns irnrnnr :eamon HIRAM M. SMITH,` OF RIOHMOND, VIRGINL/k.`

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Specification of Letters Patent No.` 3,444, dated February 20, 1844.

TO all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, I-I. M. SMITH, of the city of Richmond and State `of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Machine for Cutting Straw, Cornstalks, Roots, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is an isometrical perspective view of the machine with the handle turned hack to show the knife and mouthpiece. Fig. 2, is a transverse section, showing the relative position of the mouthpiece and shaft-shape of the arm and knife-position of the guard, &c., all drawn to a scale of one inch to the foot. a V

Description of drawings, in which the sameletters refer to the same parts in each, Fig. l: A, hopper to receive the article to be cut; B B, pieces of wood or iron which are confined to the bottom of the hopper to receiveand hold the legs and support the boxes l and 2; O, shaft; D, arm to hold the knife, which arm being extended to E, serves for a handle to operate the machine by;F, knife; G, stationary knife or mouthpiece; H, guard to govern the length of straw to be cut.

In constructing my straw cutter I make the 4 legs about 2 inches square and 2 feet 8 in. long and insert them in B B, as shown in Fig. 1; B, B, when of wood I make about 3% x square and 16 inches long and cut away the top as shown in Fig. l to receive the boxes 1 and 2; B B, if made of iron, I make 3% inches wide and thick with flanches extending down to receive and hold the legs. The top part of the box for the large end of the shaft is formed in the same casting and is over the shaft, at the small end of the sha-ft the iron plate extends over the shaft and has the box which holds the shaft bolted upto it, the bolts passing through large holes in the casting which will admit of the box being moved in any direction necessary to adapt the knife F, to the mouthpiece.` The bottom of the hopper A is made of hard wood 1% inches thick and about 7 in. wide at the mouth, and 8% at the other end, it is permanently attached to B B, and has the sides of the hopper nailed to `it, the one next tothe shaft forming an a right angle. The shaft C, I make of cast or wrought iron 2 feet long with a fianch on the large end inches diameter, to bolt the arm to. The shaft is so arranged in its bearings that the center shall occupy a point found by measuring in a horizontal direction from the corner of the hopper nearest the shaft 3% inches, thence perpendicularly down 2 inches.

The arm is made of cast iron, with a boss on the end next the shaft ofthe same size of the fianch on the end of the shaft, to which it isconfined `with 2 bolts; itl is made curved and has 3 projections fromthe inner edge of the curve as shown in Fig. 2, against which the back side of the knife rests, and square bolts pass through square holes in these proj ections and secure the knife firmly obtuse angle with the bottom, and the other to them by means of thumb nuts on the out side of the arm. The whole length of the arm and handle is about 2% feet. I make the knife of cast-steel about Jg. of an inch thick 2% wide and 12 in. long, curved so that the edge will correspond to a section of an ellipse taken from the minor axis which is lO-in. to within 1% inch-es of the major axis, which is 23 inches. I drill round holes in the knife large enough to admit the bolt and countersink them for the heads of the same.

The edge of the knife is made to touch the mouthpiece before any other part, by means of the convex shape of the projections on the arm to which it is attached.

The guard H I make of thick sheet iron about 9 inches long and 5 inches wide at the outer end,.and diminishit on the upper edge toward the shaft so as to leave about 1% or 2 in. clear space' between that edge and edge of knife. I bolt it on to a fianch on the cast arm made for that purpose. When a 3 Vhat I claim as my invention and desre lvtllesses:

shove the straw forward With the left-hand curved knife and arm, constructed and opuntl it is in contact with the guard and eratng for the purpose above described and bear the handle down low enough to cut all set forth. ofl' H. M. SMITH. [L. s.]

to secure by Letters Patent s- J. B. RoYs'rER,

The combination of the guard H, with the G. W'. WILEY. 

